WILLEMSTAD (DA) — Curaçao’s scheduled match against Anguilla was recorded as a 3-0 forfeit win after Anguilla was disqualified from the competition, a result that handed Curaçao three points but still left Haiti in control of first place in Group D.
Concacaf disqualified both Anguilla and Guyana after the Feb. 28 incident and ruled that their remaining matches would be recorded as 3-0 forfeits in favor of their opponents. For Curaçao, that meant a 3-0 win over Anguilla and a move to nine points from three matches.
That result pulled Curaçao level with Haiti on points, but Haiti remains first because it owns the stronger goal difference, +14 to Curaçao’s +10.
That is where the sanctions hurt Curaçao most. The automatic 3-0 over Anguilla gave Curaçao the points, but it also limited the margin against a team that had already lost 6-0, 7-0 and 5-0 in its other matches.
In the race for the top spot, that left Curaçao chasing a four-goal gap in goal difference instead of entering the final match level on that tiebreaker.
The last match on the schedule that will decide the top of the group is Haiti against Curaçao on March 4 at 8 p.m. at Stadion Rignaal ‘Jean’ Francisca in Willemstad.
The meaning of that match is simple: it is the Group D showdown for first place, and the group winner will advance to the Concacaf Under-20 Championship.
For Curaçao to take the lead in the group, Curaçao must beat Haiti. Any Curaçao win moves it to 12 points and into first place outright.
A draw is not enough. Both teams would then finish level on 10 points, and Haiti would stay ahead because the current four-goal advantage in goal difference would remain intact. A Haiti win would keep Haiti on top as well.